To not understand this craze for Christmas pyjamas

[CaptainTripps]

Why are xmas pjs so the done thing? I have just been following the xmas eve hamper thread and it seems the two often go hand in hand.

Are they Christmas themed pjs or just general ones? And what happens to the stockpile of previous pjs? I have visions of bulging wardrobes adorned with designs of santas and sleighs from years gone by.

Does anyone go for matching pjs?

PS I am not the pyjama troll

I was never bought pyjamas at Christmas time as child. I recently asked my parents if they were given pyjamas for Christmas but they'd never heard of such a thing. So I think it must be a recent thing or perhaps just something my family has never done.

I admit I do find Christmas themed PJs really cute but they seem like a waste for just one day. Ordinary PJs seem like a more worthwhile idea but I just buy them throughout yhe year as and when DS needs them. I'd never heard of Christmas Eve hampers until I came on here either. Or Elf on a Shelf (which creeps the hell out of me!)

My DC get new pyjamas and slippers on Christmas Eve but they aren't Christmas themed. I think Christmas themed pjs and sleepsuits are cute but I couldn't stand the waste. I mean you could have them wear them all year I guess but it probably would look a little silly to be wearing Rudolph pyjamas in April . So more than likely they're only worn for a week or so which just seems silly to me.

Never ever heard of this tradition before

I don't buy specific Xmas pyjamas. Occasionally I've bought vaguely wintery ones (especially from Boots, they are gorgeous) but basically just nice new ones. Last year they got character ones as they never normally have them (rapunzel and buzz lightyear). Whatever they are though, they are worn all year until outgrown/falling apart and are usually the favourites. My PIL send jammies twice a year so this is basically the only time we actually choose some ourselves :)

I have often gazed lovingly at nice dressing gowns and slippers to add in, but there's just no point as my DCs don't wear either.

I buy pyjamas for Christmas Eve, they aren't Christmassy. The boys seem to grow through the year and end up needing a new pair. being Christmas I can justify spending a couple of extra pounds to buy them a pair they would appreciate rather than the cheapest I can find.
This means they have one pair of fitting pyjamas for the year, and a pair from the year before that are a little small.
So no, no bulging cupboards of PJs here.

I buy new pyjamas for Christmas Eve but not Christmas themed ones. It's just a new pair of pyjamas that will get worn until they're outgrown. It makes a cute picture with the dc all lined up in them in front of the sparkly Christmas tree.

I do this, I just think it's a nice tradition and adds to the build-up. I have a friend with 5 children who does it too, she points out that Christmas Day is the one day of the year on which her children look like an advert for M&S rather than for the NSPCC.

Mine get new PJs on Christmas Eve. They usually need a new set at about that time of year anyway so why not on Christmas Eve?

They're never christmas themed so they can be worn for months afterwards and come from the Elves along with a bath bomb, a christmas-y themed book and some slipper socks. It's lovely tucking them up smelling lovely on Christmas Eve in their new PJs and reading them their new book and they're warm and snuggly in their new slipper socks on Christmas morning. The socks are worn for months afterwards and the Christmas books come out every year with the tree and get read lots over the season. It's lovely for them and I like it so 'ner' to the naysayers.

Where is the Christmas Hamper thread by the way? Always looking for new ideas.

I am with you op i find it odd too.

When mine were little i used to get special christmas pj's but they didn't have a christmas theme but were more expensive themed ones ie spongebob, powerangers etc. The rest of the year they got standard cheapos from primark.

Now they are in their teens they still get pj's but they tend to be a set of lounge pants so that at least when i get the camera out christmas morning they are not hanging about in their boxers.

I don't remember my parents doing this when I was a child, but I think it's quite a nice thing to do.

My DC tend to have outgrown pjs by Christmas so as I'd be buying them anyway it's no extra effort to give them to them on Christmas Eve. I don't buy Christmassy ones.

Sometimes I get myself some new pjs for Christmas too as I favour them for lounging around in the evenings come winter time.

We always got new pjs on Christmas Eve along with a note from the elves saying that we must get to sleep. Think it was the only thing to get us in bed!
It worked a treat though so now I do it with dd.

Mine always have matching xmas-ish themed pyjamas- dc3 rarely wears anything but xmas patterned ones in winter as he has inherited so many pairs over the years.

This year I have them from John Lewis - it is only because dc1 is so short that I can still buy them - next year I may have to make my own.

I have seen the phrase 'marketing ploy' mentioned a few times on various threads in relation to this. And while I do certainly agree that generally there is a lot of meeja pressure on us to buy random shite just because it's Xmas (I walked around a new 'MenKind' Xmas shop in town today with a face and randomly tutting), I don't really see how that relates to the Xmas jammies tradition.

I have honestly only ever heard of it on here (and another tiny forum I used before discovering my spiritual home MN) - just mums saying they do it, often simply because their parents did too. I haven't seen it marketed at all. I have never seen "Perfect for Xmas Eve!" or similar next to the pyjama sections in supermarkets/department stores/catalogues, and never seen it advertised on telly or online. Maybe I'm missing something? Is a subliminal BUY XMAS EVE JAMMIES OR YOU ARE SHITE message popping up between frames of X factor? :o

I have never bought xmas PJs as I prefer to buy them in the autumn so they get to wear them longer, but I think it's quite a nice thing for people to do and I wouldn't dream of disapproving of it. I have my own xmas eve traditions which I enjoy doing for my children.

Oh dear op. This is one of the rare threads where I start off agreeing with the op, and then switch sides!
It seems quite a nice idea/tradition?

fwiw, I have a purple sparkly jumper which looks fine in Dec but massively out of place any other month of the year. Have visions of it still being in my wardrobe in 20 years time.

DS gets pyjamas on Christmas Eve, completely thanks to MN. I'd never heard of it before coming on here. But I think it's a nice tradition and he needs new PJs in the winter anyway. One year he had Christmassy ones which he outgrew fairly rapidly. This year he's getting a star print onesie so kind of vaguely Christmassy.

We always go for a walk on Christmas Eve (one of my childhood traditions) and I leave the parcel to be found when we get back, with a letter from Father Christmas saying he's very busy getting the presents ready etc.

I've also bought myself some Christmassy PJs from Primark just cos I fancied them. Oh and we both have our Primark Christmas jumpers for Christmas Day!

I love tacky christmas clothing, socks, jumpers, hats, pyjamas etc. i am guilty of wearing the stuff year-round as well. my favourite is a white hoody with the snowman's coal and carrot features on it, when you put the hood up it has a ridiculous looking pompom on top.

My kids normally get 2 new prs of winter PJs a year - so about this time of year when its getting colder and they have outgrown last years, they get a pair, then another pair for Christmas. I could just buy them 2 pairs now, but they like having stuff to open, it just makes it more exciting. This year they are all getting gorgeous animal onesies.